Scotland boss Gordon Strachan: Relationship with the Auld Enemy is now like the two ugly sisters in pantomime

GORDON Strachan says the old aggressive and nasty rivalry between Scotland and England is a thing of the past.

Gordon Strachan announces his squad for the friendly against England (Photo: SNS)

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GORDON STRACHAN once planted a piece of Wembley turf in his back garden but has never allowed himself to sow seeds of hatred against England.

The Scotland boss reckons the relationship between the two oldest rivals in world football is more akin to the Ugly Sisters these days than outright enmity.

They will meet for the first time at Wembley since 1999 on August 14 – Oh, yes they will – in a fixture Strachan would love to see revived for the financial benefit of youth football.

The Scots once made the streets of London a no-go area for locals when they sailed to Wembley on a sea of historical resentment and a cargo of cheap wine.

The English responded in kind in the 80s when their casuals brought mayhem to the streets of Glasgow before the authorities decided enough was enough and scrapped the annual fixture, which stretches back to 1872.

Next month’s game will mark the 150th anniversary of the FA and Strachan will look around a stadium far changed from his first visit in 1977.

Back then he, wife Lesley and best man George Mackie were invited to join the hordes on the pitch after the famous 2-1 win.

He said: “We were on the terrace and were the only ones in that section still standing there. A policeman said to us, ‘Do me a favour and get on the pitch as you look silly on your own.’

“Did I swing on the crossbar? I couldn’t reach it! There’s a bit of turf in the garden of a house in Broughty Ferry from Wembley.

“I sold the place to my brother-in-law but I’ve no idea who owns it now.

“The rivalry these days is pantomime. Well, I hope it’s that way because we get on well when it comes to other things.

“There are young lads sharing facilities at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan from all around Britain, they get on as a group. Of course you want to win but there’s a bit of camaraderie.

“I don’t think there has been nastiness for years. It was aggressive behaviour 30 years ago but it’s not that way now. We know how to support our team. It’s like a badge of honour.”

Alex Salmond waved the Saltire behind David Cameron’s head when Andy Murray triumphed at Wimbledon and sporting occasions can be fertile grounds for politicians. The game against the Auld Enemy might even take on more significance with the referendum around the corner.

But Strachan, who lives near Southampton, said: “I’m out of this one. You just keep it quiet and you vote.”

But when it was pointed out he can’t vote because he lives down south, Strachan laughed: “There you go then, no point asking me.”

The national boss was happier to take a stroll down memory lane as he reflected on his record as a player against England. He added: “I played once for Scotland at Wembley, a 2-0 defeat in 1983.

“A year later I was involved in a 1-1 draw at Hampden, Mark McGhee scored from my cross.

“When we won in 1985 I was useless and got taken off.

“Will this game mean more to the Scots than the English? No. I played with Bryan Robson and Ray Wilkins. Trust me.

“It would be good if the game was every year. The money raised could go to grassroots football.”

Gardeners around Scotland may disagree but the groundsman at Wembley would certainly welcome grassroots development of a different kind.